A team of researchers from the University of Potsdam has proposed creating a technology based on the lunar materials themselves, by developing solar cells with simulated lunar dust. This research has demonstrated that it is possible to manufacture photovoltaic technology directly on the lunar surface.
The development of solar cells with simulated lunar dust
Currently, solar cells used in space achieve efficiencies above 30%, but they entail high production and transportation costs. Furthermore, the use of protective glass made from lunar regolith could reduce launch weight by up to 99.4%.
The team melted synthetic lunar dust to produce a type of glass, dubbed “moonglass,” and used it to encapsulate perovskite cells . This material is known for its high solar conversion efficiency and ease of manufacturing. Among key tests, they revealed that the new cells generated up to 100 times more energy per gram than solar panels sent from Earth.
Furthermore, the new cells offered improved performance against space radiation. While terrestrial glass tends to degrade with prolonged exposure to the lunar environment, moonglass showed superior resistance due to the natural properties of the regolith.
Furthermore, the ease with which regolith can be melted using concentrated solar energy would allow for its construction in the future. Although challenges such as lunar thermal variability and vacuum limitations exist, the project aims to conduct real-world tests on the Moon to validate the performance of solar cells manufactured on lunar missions.
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Source and photo: EurekAlert
